The logic of evolution of modern information technologies dictates a necessity to create data storage systems with a high information capacity, a high data rate and small access time, i.e. a high throughput system. Many researchers use the CRP (capacity-rate product) factor for the throughput estimation where CRP=Capacity[GB]×Data Rate[Mbps] (High Throughput Optical Data Storage Systems An OIDA Preliminary Workshop Report April 1999. Prepared for Optoelectronic Industry Development Association by Tom D. Milster).
A more objective factor, being proposed for use in this invention, is CARP (capacity-access-rate product), which is the capacity in GB, divided by access time in ms and multiplied by the data rate in Mbps. We have CARP={C[GB]/A[ms]}×Data Rate[Mbps]. A comparison of CARP factors gives the possibility to estimate objectively the advantages of any data storage system in terms of throughput.
It is clear that a need exists for systems in future applications where CRP>105 and CARP>106. That is, for example, a memory system with >1 GB information capacity, >100 Mbps data rate and <1 ms access time. At the same time, it is clear that it is necessary to ensure a minimum quality of recorded and readout signals, that is to provide a desired value of the signal/noise ratio and thereby to maintain a desired value of the error probability.
Holographic methods are considered the most prospective for high throughput data storage. More specifically, the data page oriented random access holographic memory is in the first place as a high throughput system. However, there have been difficulties and problems in the development of the high throughput system up to the present day. The high data rate for optical data storage systems depends on the light source power, sensitivity of photodetector, the number of information parallel input-output channels, and also on the conveying speed of the carrier or optical reading head, when using a design with moving mechanical parts.
For holographic storage a large number of parallel data channels is provided due to data presentation as two-dimensional pages of digital binary or amplitude data. Moreover, the highest data rate is provided when there are no moving mechanical parts, such as a rotating disk carrier.
Short random access time of a memory system is a result of applying a high-speed addressing system such as electro- or acousto-optical deflectors and using a recording-reading schema, which provides for transferring read images from different microholograms to a photodetector without any mechanical movement.
Use of a volume information carrier in optical (including holographic) data storage for providing a high information capacity and high information density is well known, as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,665 issued Jan. 30, 2001 to Roh. But existing methods of optical (holographic) data storage based on a volume carrier do not obtain high capacity and short random access time simultaneously in accordance with the circumstances indicated below.
There are several methods of volumetric holographic carrier applications. The first is using angle multiplexed volume holograms, which provide for the superimposing of data pages of Fourier or Fresnel holograms in the volume photorecording medium. Each of the holograms is recorded with a separate angle of the reference beam. The same angle of the readout beam is required for data page reading. Examples include Roh, U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,608 issued Jun. 6, 2000 to Psaltis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,359 issued Apr. 20, 1999 to Stoll, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,613 issued Dec. 9, 1997 to Redfield et al.
A second method is using encrypted holograms for holographic data storage as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,514 issued Aug. 17, 1999 to Heanue et al. In the Heanue system orthogonal phase-code multiplexing is used in the volume medium and the data is encrypted by modulating the reference beam.
This method has a number of limitations. The main problem is a deficiency of the volumetric medium in meeting the necessary requirements. For example, ferroelectric crystals do not exhibit sufficiently great stability, and photopolymers have too large a shrinkage factor.
A third method is using holograms recorded in a multilayer medium as described by “Holographic multiplexing in a multilayer recording medium”, Arkady S. Bablumian, Thomas F. Krile, David J. Mehrl, and John F. Walkup, Proc. SPIE, Vol. 3468, pp. 215-224 (1998) and by Milster. One or more holograms (a hologram matrix) are recorded in each layer of the volume carrier. A readout of each hologram is made by a separate reading beam. A limitation of this method is a low layer count, the number of layers being limited by the noise from neighboring holograms located on other layers.
The last method is using waveguide multilayer holograms. See “Medium, method, and device for hologram recording, and hologram recording and reproducing device”, Mizuno Shinichi (Sony Corp.) JP09101735A2, Publication date: Apr. 15, 1997. Waveguide holograms are recorded in thin films of a multilayer carrier. Known methods of multilayered waveguide hologram recording and reading do not provide a high data density and small access time simultaneously.
International Publication No. WO 01/57602 discloses the recording of holograms in a wave guide layer formed in a structure containing multiple wave guide layers. An optical system allows the writing of holograms in the wave guide layer and subsequent reading of the written holograms. However, the memory system does not provide a combination of very low access time and high data density simultaneously because the data carrier tape or data storage card moves during readout. Any mechanical movement in a data storage system results in a relatively long data access time.
The analysis of known methods and apparatus in the field of holographic data storage permit to draw a conclusion: at the present time there is no high throughput holographic data storage system approach providing a high value of the CARP factor.
It is an objective of this invention to provide a holographic storage system with a high CARP factor.